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| Other Week 14 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI at SEA | CAR at JAX | CHI at WAS | CLE at NYJ | DAL at DET | IND at BAL | KC at DEN | MIA at BUF |
| MIN at SF | NO at ATL | NYG at PHI | OAK at GB | PIT at NE | SD at TEN | STL at CIN | TB at HOU |
Week 14 Game Recap: St. Louis Rams 10, Cincinnati Bengals 19
What you need to know
| St. Louis Rams |
This game was played in a torrential rain, which meant from the get go that both teams placed heavy emphasis on the running game, and both struggled to pass.
Brock Berlin, the rookie QB, was composed but the game plan was to play it safe, and play it safe they did. With a helping hand from the weather, this meant that the only offensive points the Rams would muster would be from their kicker. To his credit, Berlin did not make any huge mistakes, and so the Rams were in this one right up to the end, when he finally did make a mistake (an interception on a poor throw to Drew Bennett) to end the game.
Steven Jackson needs help. He was trying to carry the team, and with success at times, but the burden was too much. He looks to have no lingering effects from the injury that kept him out earlier in the season, as he ran hard all day, gaining an extra yard or two often from sheer will, it seemed.
The receivers were nowhere to be seen. Torry Holt caught a few, but nothing game breaking, and Isaac Bruce was held without a catch. Drew Bennett was not targeted until the Rams final offensive play, an interception.
The Rams secondary looked good and the Rams only TD came from a Fakhir Brown interception return.
| Cincinnati Bengals |
Carson Palmer had a lackluster day, failing to pass for a touchdown, while adding two interceptions. The buckets of rain were definitely a factor, as more than once, the ball seemed to slip leaving his hand.
Rudi Johnson just kept pounding the ball, and that was enough for the win, since the Rams had to respect the Bengals passing game and couldn't stack the line. DeDe Dorsey came up big, with three long outside runs, and Kenny Watson caught six passes to round out the Bengals running game.
The defense held the Rams to three offensive points.
What you ought to know
| QB Brock Berlin, Pass: 17 - 28 - 153 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - -16 - 0 |
This was Brock Berlin's first NFL start, and the best thing that can be said is that he didn't look awful and for the most part didn't make any mistakes. The game plan was ultra-conservative and he took what they gave him in the passing game, which meant a lot of short routes to Torry Holt, as well as dump off passes to the running backs in the flats. This strategy kept the Rams in the game right up until the end, at which point he had no choice but to force a throw, which was promptly intercepted.
| QB Marc Bulger |
Bulger was inactive due to injury (concussion).
| QB Gus Frerotte |
Frerotte was active, and dressed as the backup QB. He did not play a snap.
| RB Steven Jackson, Rush: 18 - 91 - 0, Rec: 4 - 26 - 0 (6 targets) |
Jackson looked like his old self, equally bruising on the ground while also posing a threat in the passing game. He had one long run of 54 yards, and the rest were short gains. The fact that rookie Brock Berlin was in at QB meant that the Bengals stacked the line against Jackson, which held him in check, but don't let the numbers fool you. He was the heart and soul of this team the whole game.
| RB Antonio Pittman, Rush: 2 - 11 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) |
Pittman had two carries and a reception, spelling Steven Jackson only occasionally.
| RB Brian Leonard, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) |
Leonard was used sparingly but in important situations. He carried the ball only once, but it was for a first down on fourth and one.
| WR Torry Holt, Rec: 8 - 90 - 0 (10 targets) |
Holt was the only receiver for the Rams that did anything that even resembled production. He was able to catch the ball consistently, but he never had any room to run after the catch.
| WR Drew Bennett (1 targets) |
Bennett was not targeted until the Rams final offensive play, which was an interception.
| WR Isaac Bruce (7 targets) |
Bruce went without a catch, as Brock Berlin repeatedly couldn't get the ball to him.
| TE Randy McMichael, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) |
McMichael played hard, and looked threatening when he had the ball, but was called on to be a blocker most of the time.
| TE Joe Klopfenstein, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) |
Klopfenstein had a perfect one target, one reception, for one yard game.
| PK Jeff Wilkins 1 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points |
Wilkins missed one field goal, but later was responsible for the Rams only offensive score, a 50 yard boot that even surprised Wilkins when it found its way through the uprights.
| STL Rush Defense |
Inconsistent at best. They were able to keep Rudi Johnson from running too much on them, but then allowed three long runs to the backup.
| STL Pass Defense |
They did well against a usually powerful passing attack, but the torrential downpour helped their case some, too.
| QB Carson Palmer, Pass: 21 - 29 - 189 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 3 - -3 - 0 |
Palmer finished the day with two interceptions and no touchdowns. Outside of one long pass to Chad Johnson, he had a hard time hooking up with his receivers. He had better luck throwing to Houshmandzadeh, but most were for short gains.
| RB Rudi Johnson, Rush: 23 - 92 - 1, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) |
Rudi Johnson was effective all day. He was the Bengals workhorse, mostly running between the tackles while the end runs went to Watson and Dorsey.
| RB Kenny Watson, Rush: 3 - 10 - 0, Rec: 6 - 48 - 0 (6 targets) |
Watson was the main pass catching back, but only had three carries due to the success Dorsey was having on the outside runs.
| RB DeDe Dorsey, Rush: 4 - 81 - 0 |
Dorsey ran the ball four times, and three were for long gains.
| RB Jeremi Johnson, Rush: 2 - 4 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) |
The fullback carried the ball twice as the Bengals spread their carries between five different backs.
| WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0, Rec: 8 - 52 - 0 (12 targets) |
Houshmandzadeh was largely ineffective. His longest catch on the day was for fourteen yards.
| WR Chad Johnson, Rec: 2 - 60 - 0 (7 targets) |
Johnson had a rough day. He had one long catch, but for the rest of the day struggled to find the ball.
| WR Antonio Chatman, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) |
One of his two catches was for a short first down.
| WR Chris Henry, Rec: 1 - 16 - 0 (1 targets) |
Henry was an afterthought, and his only catch was also for a first down.
| TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) |
The tight end caught one short pass, but was used primarily as a blocker.
| PK Shayne Graham 4 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 13 points |
Graham was a perfect four for four on his field goal attempts.
| CIN Rush Defense |
They stacked the line against Steven Jackson and it worked. Except for one long run in the first half, they were able to consistently force the Rams into passing situations on third down.
| CIN Pass Defense |
They basically shut it down. Torry Holt was able to get open consistently, but found no running room after the catch, and no other Rams receiver emerged as a threat.
